Muggle Livin', Muggle Lovin'
by SimplyMione
Summary: AU. What if Cedric didn't die in the graveyard, but merely went into a comatose state? Well, years later, he wakes up with not a trace of magic in him. Who better to help him with the muggle details than our very own Hermione Granger? Enjoy! RR please!
1. Chapter 1: Amos' Request

AN: Hi, all! I know, I disappeared and I haven't updated my fics! I just got writer's block and this plotbunny wouldn't get out of my head! I'm sure I'll finish this one though, it's what I do during boring lectures! Have fun, please R+R!

Muggle Livin', Muggle Lovin'

Ch. 1: Amos' Request

"Hermione." Her name traveled above the humdrum noises of the busy hallway in the Ministry. The secretary to the Minister turned only to find her boss running to catch up to her. She thought about the mountain of late paperwork that he had dumped on her desk earlier today and felt the urge to pretend not to have heard him and keep walking. But, alas, er damned conscience once again got in the way.

When he finally caught up to her, he paused with labored breath. With an amused smile, her infamous wit bitingly remarked, "you know, Amos, for a man your age, you should exercise more." He glared at her good-naturedly and she couldn't help but laugh. Indeed, after the fall of Voldemort, Amos Diggory replaced Rufus Scrimgeour as Minister of Magic with the recommendation and support of Harry Potter. Those against the obvious leniency towards the treatment of muggles cried foul play, that Potter was just a kid and only supported Amos because of a guilty conscience regarding the comatose state of one Cedric Diggory. Those complaints, however, could not overpower the word of the Golden Trio that brought about peace and the Wizarding world welcomed Diggory into the position of Minister and the one and only Hermione Granger as his successor.

"You know, I don't keep you around to be ridiculed. However, no matter. I have a very important request, one thhat I would much rater entrust in you than anyone else." Seeing his serious expression, she asked him to elaborate. "Well, you best come with me to St. Mungo's."

"St. Mungo's?" Before he could reply, he had alredy disappeared with a pop.

"Took you long enough." She heard his voice before she opened her eyes to the blinding white walls and furniture in the waiting room. Wen she did, her brown eyes narrowed to a glare at her boss before looking at the room around her. A few magazines laid scattered on a coffee table and se could hardly suppress her laugh when she saw Harry's photo on the cover of Witch Weekly under the headline: Witch Weekly's annual best smile award. She tore her vision from her best friend's artificial smile and saw the name plate next to the door at the end of the room that read in bold, capitalized letters, "CEDRIC DIGGORY."

"Wha-?" She could hardly utter a complete word from her astonishment. There hadn't been any progress for years, and yet...

With a sigh, Amos sat on the pristine couch and gestured at the seat next to him. Hermione, seeing the gravity of the situation, followed without objection and waited until he finally spoke. "Mrs. Diggory was sitting next to his bed. You know how she is." Hermione bid him to continue with a sympathetic nod. Indeed, everyone knew of Mrs. Diggory's devotion to her only son. Even as he laid motionless and unable to respond, she sat by his bedside everyday, occasionally cutting his hair and clipping his nails. He would be horrified to see himself so unkempt when he wakes up, she would say. Others who believed he would never waken just nodded with a smile. "Well, yesterday, when she changed his shirt, she realized it was soiled wit the sweat of fever. She called for the mediwitch and an hour later, he woke up."

"Well, that's great! Congratulations!" Having worked with him since the days of the order, she knew how important this was to him.

"Yes, it was an excellent surprise. However, there was a catch, and this is where I need your help." He glanced at her and, noting her serious and sincere expression, continued. "When the mediwitch examined him, however, se couldn't find a trace of magic in him." Her eyes widened in disbelief and he nodded in a grave reassurance. "Essentially, he's a mggle. Granted, tere has never been a precedent so no one knows whether or not he will regain his magic."

"Oh... well, what can I do?" Her eagerness to help moved him and he could only hope tat her kindness will remain after he voices his request.

"To be frank, I need your help. You would only be responsible for this. No more paperwork or dealing wit pureblood snobs." He paused. "My son... he needs help assimilating to muggle culture. I know that there is a chance that he may regain his abilities, but if he doesn't, I don't want him wasting his life away due to some false hope."

Hermione had never been so shocked in her life, except maybe when she received her Hogwarts letter. Wat he was asking was a lot. Granted, it made sense since she is probably the only person he knows with a muggle home. But to give up her life's work and dedicate herself to te care of one person... "I-I don't know."

"Please, Hermione. It's only until he can live by himself." She continued to hesitate. "I beg-"

"Do it for me, Mione." The two turned to find Harry emerging from the door behind them, his sparkling eyes somber. "You know how this has been weighing on my conscience. Please." She looked between her best friend and her boss and their pleading glances. When she finally nodded, the two engulfed her in a bone crushing hug. "Do you want to see him?" Harry asked tentatively, knowing how unfair it had been to ask his best friend to make such a sacrifice for his guilt.

She shook her head. "I have to get my house ready." With that, she apparated away.


	2. Chapter 2: The Awakening

A/N: Thank you guys soooo much for your support! It's so nice to come home from a long day of classes and see such positive comments. I hope you guys like this chapter! They finally meet! Enjoy, R+R!

Muggle Livin', Muggle Lovin'

Ch. 2: The Awakening

She stood back and looked at her handiwork. Well, she hadn't done much actually. She never could really change her parents' house even after their deaths. She didn't shed a tear for them, she hardly had time. Instead, she mourned painfully and intensely within herself. That part of her that had compassion for house-elves and belief in goodness was slowly eaten away by this void.

She shook her head and left the guest room. All she'd done was transfigure a door between her own bedroom and this room, in case he needed her for some reason. After questioning what exactly made her agree to this, she returned to the hospital to pick up her new roommate.

When she reappeared in the waiting room, she saw that everyone had already gathered in the patient's room. With a deep breath, she entered.

She stood in the doorway and watched the small crowd at the corner of the room. Mrs. Diggory, still in tears, kept herself busy, fluffing pillows and smoothing blankets around her son. Amos had his hand on his shoulder, and a warm gaze on him as he spoke and laughed with Harry and the twins as if nothing had ever happened.

Just by looking at him, she thought, you'd think he wasn't in a coma for the past seven years. His cheeks held the same rosy hue along with the boyish grin that made her classmates swoon. His hair, nicely kept by his mother, retained its shine as he sat in the way of the streaming sunlight that reflected in his gentle gray eyes.

"Ah, the lady of the day!" Amos cheered when she stepped closer to the group. A slight blush graced her cheeks as she gave a wary glance in his direction. As second nature, she leaned into Harry as he placed an arm around her shoulder. Mrs. Diggory offered a cold handshake and a slight look of disdain. Of course, Hermione could understand. She embodied the culture that her son had been forced into with the loss of his magic. To break the tension, the twins stepped forward, each grabbing one of her hands, and shook so vigorously that her very bones seemed to clatter.

"Yes, nice to meet you, lady of the day," the two said in union.

"-the week"

"-the month"

"-the year."

Then, simultaneously, the two pulled her in their direction causing her to lose her footing and fall into their crushing embrace. Everyone laughed as she tried to recover dazily from the twin's rough housing until Harry steadied her with his hands, still trembling from laughter, on her shoulders. The joyous atmosphere shattered with a cough from Mrs. Diggory before she threw down her wash cloth and left the room. With an apologetic look towards Hermione, her husband followed suit.

"Well, let's give the odd couple a bit of privacy," Harry suggested, pushing the twins toward the door. "We don't need any more entertainment."

With an indignant look, the identical faces at the doorway turned back to the patient. "Is that all we are to you?"

"-Entertainment?"

"-I thought we meant something to you!"

"-That's what you said last night!"

"-Oh, Cedry-poo, you slay me!" Harry encouraged their exit with a shove. "Oh, heartless rogue! My bleeding heart!" A washcloth thrown in Fred's face from the very man he was professing his love to ended the charade.

"All right! All right! We'll leave! But remember-"

"-Hermione is innocent-"

"-unlike us-"

"-and don't know about your lecherous nature and untamable masculine lust-"

"-which, keep in mind, we have no problem with-"

"-but be gentle with her!"

"Frederick Weasley! Be appropriate or I'll tell your mother how you snuck Angelina into your room when you were staying at the Burrow." Hermione's threat caused the two to stick their tongues out at her before turning and elaving the room.

Just as she breathed out deeply, the identical ginger menaces reappeared in the doorway. "Don't do anything we wouldn't do!" A pillow thrown square in their faces and a gaggling sound from Harry pulling the two by their collars forced them to leave the two alone with an awkward silence.

"Don't do anything we wouldn't do," Hermione mimicked. "Well that covers just about nothing."

Cedric chuckled slightly and kept his gaze on his blanket covered knees. Another awkward pause. "Listen, I'm sorry about mother. She doesn't mean-"

"I know," she said, mustering the gentlest smile she could. It's times like these she wished she had some sort of maternal instinct. She was happy when she saw her smile returned. With the ice broken, she said jokingly. "Seven years later and you still have some swing and aim in that arm."

"Aw, stop, you're making me blush," he replied as he reached to scratch the back of his neck. "Actually, the healers did a hell of a job. I'm still a bit stiff, but I can walk and move around fine."

"Oh." She hated these silences, but what is there to say? She hardly knew him. She'll be the first to admit that yes, she does judge people the way they judge her as a bookworm. Oliver was a Quidditch fanatic, the twins were pranksters, Cedric Diggory was just a pretty boy who happened to be every girl's dream guy. As she got older, though, she made more of an effort to get to know people. She found out that Oliver is a loving and passionate man (even if they didn't work out as a couple) and that Fred is an excellent father to his newborn son. Cedric, however, she never got to know. To her, he was as two-dimensional as he always was.

"You know, I-uh-" he broke the silence hesitantly. "I really appreciate your help. I told dad that I'll be fine but- Anyway, thanks." She shook her head in a modest manner. "No, really. Look, I know that this isn't what you want to do. There's a whole lot of good out there for you to achieve and instead you're stuck with me. I-uh-I'm sorry."

At this, Hermione felt a slight pang, especially with his defeated tone. The whole time she'd been complaining about her losses, but how difficult this must be for him! Seven years of his life gone, the golden boy whom everyone looked up to reduced to a muggle dependent on a younger girl, his dreams...

"Listen, it's really no trouble at all. I mean, it's like a vacation from all that paperwork your father piles on me all the time. Believe me, it won't be that bad, you'll be fine all by yourself in no time," she said, placing a hand over his large one. The warmth of his smile and the heat radiating off his body made her feel warm all over, but not uncomfortably so. She fought the urge to frown at her confusion.

"This makes me wish I had taken Muggle Studies in Hogwarts," he said wistfully.

"I doubt you missed much." The two exchanged a smile and she gasped when his hand turned to clasp hers. The overwhelming heat from his palm left her feeling light-headed while the strength in his grip steadied her. What was this hold he had on her? She'd wanted to storm in here, angry and bitter, but his simple, pleasant nature moved her. His grip on her, as if he desperately needed her, awakened some flame in her heart that she could not smother. "Let's go home," she whispered and pressed a kiss to his forehead.


	3. Chapter 3: Moving In

A/N: I am a terrible person. I know, I haven't updated in forever! I've just had some personal issues, and school is starting soon and getting ready to move back to NY is such a hassle. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter though! Can you tell that I absolutely adore the Weasleys?

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Muggle Living, Muggle Loving

Ch. 3: Moving In

"Geez, 'Mione, you need to invite us over more often. I forgot how nice your place is."

"Ronald, I did not ask you here to gawk, now help me with this box!" Hermione, stepping through the threshold, slumped over a cardboard box. At the irritated tone, Ron quickly took the burden from the petite witch.

"Honestly, I don't know why we don't just use magic." A sharp jab in his ribs silenced him from continuing his rant about the magic ban inside her house.

"Can you be anymore insensitive? Cedric can't use magic, remember?" she whispered harshly, looking out the door to see the man shaking hands and hugging his mother. When he turned and met her gaze, he waved with such a genuine smile that she couldn't help but match a smile and wave of her own.

"Oh, I forgot. That must be real difficult for Ced. You know, having been surrounded by magic all his life and being so good at it. Holy sh-"

"Ronald!"

"-it, this is heavy! Hermione, you can't have a magic ban and a swearing ban at the same time. Are you trying to kill me?"

"Sometimes I think that would save me a lot of grief. Look, just take it up the stairs and drop it off at the second door to the right." It had been a long day and Hermione was not about to start a verbal spar with Ron. 'Not that I wouldn't win anyway,' she thought. She turned around and stepped out to the car. "How many more boxes?" she asked the figure beside the trunk. "And why aren't you moving anything?"

"Only about three, Wood and the twins will take care of them. And Mione, I am here to delegate. There are some advantages to being the Boy-Who-Lived, you know." Harry said with a secretive smile. "hey, I'm really happy you did this for me. You have no idea how much this means to me." He engulfed her in a hug, which she willingly leaned into.

"I know, Harry, I know." She smoothed his unkempt hair, which continued to rebel, and pressed a kiss near his ear.

"Hey, we're working and they're smooching. Does this seem fair to you?" A gingerheaded twin complained with a rogue smirk as he grabbed another box.

"Nope, but Fred, that's how slavedrivers are. Never care about the workers." The two placed the boxes on the floor and stretched out their arms. Then, unexpectedly, the two dropped on the floor on either side of her and grabbed her hands. "Mione, we're tired!"

"Yeah, mommy, we're tired," Fred whined like a six-year-old and yanked and swung her arm.

"Alright, you bring these boxes up and you can have a couple of cookies from the kitchen." She smiled gently and petted each on their heads. At the mention of food, the two stood quickly.

"Well, woman, why didn't you say so from the beginning?"

"Trying to starve us, she is." The two raced to the house.

"I honestly don't know how Molly does it." She turned to wave at Oliver, who'd just announced that he moved the last box and was on his way home. "Nor do I know how he ever got a license." She cringed as they heard a loud horn as he turned the corner. "It was nice of him to help though."

Harry turned and closed the trunk to the new minivan that the Diggory's had bought especially for their son. They wanted to get him the best and the large vehicle had impressed them. That and a greasy car salesman, of course. "I'm not surprised. Wood always respected Cedric as a Quidditch player. Besides, he's probably still a bit hung up over you. You know, the way you responded to Fred and Georgeg, you'll be a great mother one day."

"Shut up," she muttered, embarassed. They watched the Diggory's fawn over their son as they said good-bye. Amos gave her a warm fatherly hug and thank you while Mrs. Diggory just gave her a cold farewell. When the two apparated with a pop, Hermione turned to the two remaining men on her lawn. "Let's go in before those three eat all my cookies. Although, I have a feeling I'm already too late."

When they stepped in the kitchen, Hermione's jaw dropped. It was the biggest mess they'd ever seen. Jars of jelly and what not were left opened, dripping over the tabletop. "Hey, Mione, do you have any peanut butter?" Ron asked with his head in the refridgerater. "We're doing peanut butter and jelly lettuce rolls but I think you ran out of peanut butter."

"Uh, guys, come on. I'll give you a ride home," Harry suggested nervously.

"What? But we're not done-"

"Yes you are. Bye 'Mione, love you. Good luck, Cedric!" With that, Harry pulled the Weasleys out of the house and into his car.

"Are they always-"

"Yes. Come on, I'll show you around." She grabed hiim by the arm roughly and away from the war zone that was once a kitchen. Females have always behaved coyly and womanly around him off the quidditch field. Therefore, poor Cedric had no idea what he was in for.

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A/N: Yup, So Ced is all moved in now. I'm promise there will be more of their moments in the next chapter! And what's this about Oliver? Hm... Well, I guess you'll just have to wait and see! Thanks for reading! 


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